The Circle on Her Back
by nishikaze
Summary: Just how hard will Sakura fight to protect the two men she loves the most from the monster whose only goal is to kill them both?
1. Little Red Riding Hood

**The Circle on H****er Back**

A Naruto Fan Fiction by nishikaze

Just how hard will Sakura fight to protect the two men she loves the most from the monster whose only goal is to kill them both?

The sky was overcast but the wind was calm. She was as still as the wind, waiting, watching. Her senses were on full alert, but she was not tense. Despite herself, despite her reason for waiting there, she felt nothing but calm. She had no fear, no anger; nothing but an overriding sense of destiny. She had made a promise to protect, a promise to be useful. This was her time.

She felt him before she actually saw him. She knew instantly he hadn't noticed her yet, her chakra suppressed, she was hidden, but not for long. He would not get past her. She was would be the mountain that he would have to defeat before he could move on, towards his real goal. She would not be defeated. They were counting on her.

She knew the moment he noticed her. He appeared before her in an instant, hoping to rattle her resolve. She didn't flinch. "Mmmmm… Well look at this. A little lost lamb in the dark forest. Aren't you afraid of being gobbled by the big, bad wolf, Sakura-_chan_?"

Sakura merely studied him. He looked very much like a monster from a child's fairytale. Almost noting remained of Kabuto's once fair skin. Most of his face had changed to an unhealthy shade of purple and with it the visage of his former master Orochimaru. He still had his pale blue-grey hair and he still wore his specticles. She found that vaguely amusing.

"What's the matter little girl? Wolf got your tounge?" He taunted as he took a step towards her, "I have no interest in you little girl, so if you walk away I'll let you live."

"I'm afraid I can't do that Kabuto." Her voice sounded bored to her ears.

"Oh really? Why not?"

Sakura looked him square in the eyes, "Because I am here to kill you."

Chapter 1: Little Red Riding Hood

Sakura and Kakashi were both disturbed by Kabuto's self-imposed transformation into Orochimaru. Naruto had told them of it soon after he met Kabuto on the road. They were still looking for Sasuke at the time, and Naruto was obsessed with completing the task. Only Hinata's concerned report calmed Naruto down long enough to tell them all of Kabuto's obsession with himself and Sasuke.

The other's had camped for the night when Sakura decided to make her move. She casually approached Kakashi, who was leaning against a tree, his nose in the ever present Icha Icha novel. She slipped around behind him, brushing his shoulder as she did so. Soon after she left the clearing, and out of the earshot of the others, she stopped. Kakashi appeared at her side. "What did you want, Sakura-chan?"

The pink-haired ninja turned to her former sensei, "I'm concerned about what Naruto said about Kabuto."

"Ah," He sighed, "I had a feeling."

"Orochimaru _can not_ be resurrected Kakashi. He needs to stay dead. You and I both know that." There was venom in her voice and her steady, but he could see the rage hidden behind the jade of her eyes.

Kakashi regarded her steadily for a pregnant moment before answering her. "Sakura, this isn't your fight."

"I know that," She snapped. The harshness of her tone must have startled her, because she took a deep breath and clamed down before she continued. "Kabuto, by his own admition, is growing more powerful by the moment. He _wants_ to be consumed by Orochimaru. The longer we wait, the harder it will be to bring him down for good."

Again Kakashi studied her for a moment before answering. "You're right, of course. Our mission however is to bring back Sasuke. We can't all go after Kabuto instead."

"That's why only one of us should go after him."

Kakashi eyes widened as he began to realize her intent. "You want to be the one to take him down."

She nodded, "I'm the one who stands the best chance, but…"

She paused and stepped away. She turned from him as she took a deep breath. She spun back towards him and looked him square in the eyes. "I have a plan."


	2. The Sanin's Student

**The Circle ****On**** Her Back**

A Naruto Fan Fiction by nishikaze

Author's note: I suppose I should have included this in the first chapter, but the events of this fiction happen after the events in chapter 357, but not long after. Consider it a side trip for Sakura.

Chapter 2: The Sanin's Student

Finding Kabuto had been painfully easy thanks to Pakun. The little dog-nin was surprised to say the least when Kakashi gave the order, but he followed it without question. It only took a day and half of moderate travel to find Kabuto. As soon as it was obvious they had found their intended target Sakura sent the reluctant dog back to Kakashi.

"_You_ kill _me_, little girl?" Kabuto's laugh sounded more like a hiss, "I realize who your master is, but you are nowhere near as good as she. What makes you think you can kill me?"

Sakura cast aside her cloak and calmly reached into her belt pouch. Pulling out her gloves she slipped them on. She wasn't looking at him when she answered. "Because I know something you don't." Finished, she looked up at him and smiled sweetly, "Shall we begin?"

* * *

Some days Sakura could be amused by the irony in her life, other days irony was a royal pain in her ass. Three legendary Sannin, three original members of rookie team 7; she had to pick the hard ass. 

Tsunade had been a brutal teacher. She had strengthened Sakura physically herself, fighting the young woman with little holding back. Teaching her how to control her chakra to its maximum effectiveness in battle; teaching her taijitsu the hard way. Sakura's mornings were filled with Tsunade and her insane strength.

Sakura's afternoons were spent at the hospital with Shizune. She learned the intricacies of the human body, the organs, the bones, toxins and poisons, and the flow of Chakra throughout the body. Medical training was intense but Sakura thrived, her superior Chakra control and intelligence helping her to excel.

Her evenings were spend in solitude, either reading in the library about jutsu not covered in her training, or nursing her bruises and aches in her room. She was grateful to learn how to heal herself; otherwise she would have never survived Tsunade's hands on training.

Sakura proved to be the perfect student. The harder Tsunade pushed, the more Sakura would absorb. Secretly she had mastered every one of Tsunade's techniques.

Not everything Sakura learned was related to ninjitsu however. Being the student of the Godaime had taught her to listen and feign ignorance. She learned much about politics and village secrets. Out of everyone in her class, she knew the secrets of the generation that had come before. She filed every bit of random information into the back of her head and kept her mouth shut, and her eyes open.

And so Sakura thrived…

* * *

He made the first move. His body blurred for just a moment, then disappeared, reappearing behind her; or would have had she not expected the attack. When he paused to strike he found her facing him, and immediately took a full strength punch from the pink-haired powerhouse. The hit sent him flying back and into a tree. The fight would have ended right there had it not been Kabuto who took the hit. His Chakra worked overtime to immediately repair the damage to his internal organs. 

He tried to jump away but Sakura was there. Following the ninja, not letting up she attacked him again. This time he dodged, but every time Sakura threw a punch or a kick she moved faster. Unrelenting, she never gave him the chance to regroup.

Kabuto was able to counter attack, he gave almost as good as he got. Not possessing Sakura's insane strength he resorted to his Chakra Scalpel; but just as he healed from her attacks, she was able to heal from his.

They broke away, winded and sweaty, Kabuto gave the young medic nin a small smile. "Not bad little one, but it won't be good enough." His hands went through a series of rapid hand signs, "I will kill you." Several clay clones rose from the earth and attacked slashing at her with kunai. She dodged easily, but the kunai slashed at her blouse. Knowing she had to get back to the real Kabuto, that every second was crucial, she struck out at the clones, making quick work of them. One kunai drew a line of blood as it grazed her skin, as another clone grabbed her by the back of her blouse. One hit took care of the clone with the kunai. She shed her blouse and let fly a spinning kick disposing of the last clone. The blouse fell away revealing the mesh and leather breast binding she wore under her blouse, as well as her smooth torso, covered with strange black markings.

Finally left with only Kabuto, Sakura advanced. _He__'s__ summoning somethin__g, _she thought to herself and without breaking stride she reached into her pack. Drawing out a scroll she ran her thumb over the line of blood that still remained over the now healed kunai wound. Letting the scroll fly open she ran the line of blood along the scroll just as Kabuto did the same. Both ninja paused to touch the ground as they completed the summoning.

The summonings were simultaneous but only one form appeared in the smoke of the summoning, its form hidden for a few crucial seconds. Sakura didn't even bother to look at the summoned beast as she jumped into the air. Leg straight she brought in down in a perfect replica of Tsuande's signature move. Kabuto's eyes widened and he jumped away at the last second, the force of Sakura's attack creating a massive crater.

Still Sakura didn't let up, chasing him down she pressed her attack, never faltering, each punch, each kick perfectly controlled. As the mist cleared both combatants were too preoccupied to notice just who was summoned forth.

Kabuto jumped away and summoned more clones to keep Sakura from pressing her attack. Instead of stopping her she barked out an order to the summoned beast.

"Katsuyu-san, please get rid of the clones." The massive slug began to spit acid at the clones as Sakura reached Kabuto again. Kabuto, surprised that his summoning didn't go through, let his guard down for a split second. It was all she needed.

This time when she hit him she released a small amount of electricity into his body intending to short out his nervous system. She followed up the attack with another punch, sending the man flying back. She paused to catch her breath. The summoning had cost her dearly. She had little reserves of Chakra left. The next advance would be her last.

Kabuto laughed, "Stupid little girl! You're mistress couldn't stop me with this for long, what makes you will do any better?" Paralyzed, he fought for control of his motor functions, "I'll have shaken this off in seconds."

Sakura straighten and gazed at him with cool eyes. "Seconds are all I need."

Blood trickled from multiple cuts over her body. Sweat mixed with ink and smeared the art that graced her smooth skin. Her belt pouch and apron lay on the ground meters away. Sakura closed her eyes for a moment, collected her Chakra and advanced for one last charge.

* * *

Author's note number two: In case you want to know what happened to Kabuto's summoning, by this time Manda is dead, thanks to Sasuke. What about the ink covering Sakura's body? And how was this battle so easy for Sakura? Those answers and more in the next chapter! 

Next Time: Immovable.

BTW: Thank you to the people who reviewed! I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. The next chapter won't take near so long. I've already started to write it.


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